1 plural: the regular light work of a household or farm2: an ordinary task3: a dull, unpleasant, or difficult task

How do you use it?

"Miss Thomas said, ‘Before that grin gets stuck on your face, let me tell you you're going to have lots of chores and things to take care of around here, Bud, you'll be expected to pull your own weight the best you can.'" (Christopher Paul Curtis, _Bud, Not Buddy_)

Are you a word wiz?

Speakers of all languages perform work around their homes or farms, but only one of the languages below is the ancestor of our word "chore." Which one do you think "chore" originated in?

A. Old High Germanic

B. Sanskrit

C. Old English

D. Persian

We hope it wasn't too much of a chore to guess Old English. The ultimate ancestor of "chore" is the Old English word "cierr," which meant "turn" in the senses of a turning movement, the return of an occasion, or a "turn" (or piece) of work. "Cierr" eventually became the Middle English "char," meaning the same thing. In fact, "char" and "chare" are still recognized as English words meaning "chore." By the mid-1700s, English speakers were using the spelling "chore" for daily light work, and we now also use it for a routine task or job, as well as for a difficult or disagreeable one.